Humpback Liner? No, Humpback NINER!

By Paul Lukas, on October 18th, 2011

What you see above is 49ers QB Steve DeBerg getting wired up with a speaker for a game in 1980. Deberg had been stricken with laryngitis, so the San Francisco staff wired a little microphone to his facemask and connected it to rig on his back so his teammates could hear him calling signals.

I first mentioned the DeBerg situation in the Ticker last week but didn’t have any photos or other substantiation. Now a bunch of readers have come forward with a flood of good material. In addition to the photo shown above, check out this shot of DeBerg bending over, which gives a good sense of just how much gear was strapped to his back:

Can you imagine? Like, what if he got hit from behind, or just landed on his back? Jeez. As for the microphone that was connected to all this gear, there’s a pretty good shot of it in this football card:

.
But the money shot is here in this video clip — skip ahead to the 2:27 mark to see DeBerg talking about his unusual set-up:

The funny thing is that I’m a Niners fan who grew up on Long Island, and DeBerg first wore the amplification gear during a game against the Jets, which means I would’ve been able to watch that game. I was always desperate for any chance to see the Niners in those days, so I must have watched it. But I have no memory of this episode.

Epilogue: Three years later, while playing for the Broncos, DeBerg was struck again by vocal problems, so they contacted the Niners and had his old rig sent over:

.
Now we just need to find images of DeBerg wearing all this gear while playing for Denver.

(Big thanks to Jay Braiman, Dan Clark, Douglas Ford, and Eric van der Burght for their contributions to this entry.)

Seen something on eBay that you think would make good Collector’s Corner fodder? Send your submissions here, or tweet them here.

+ + + + +

Uni Watch News Ticker: The Winter Classic jerseys have supposedly been confirmed, although I’m also hearing some chatter that those aren’t the real designs after all. Whatever — it’s one freakin’ game, and neither team has a good historical design to use, so almost anything they choose is going to be a disappointing compromise on some level. We’ll find out what the jerseys really are when they officially unveil them. ”¦ And while we wait for that, we can check out something more enjoyable: NHL logos made out of food! Total fucking genius (big thanks, Brinke). ”¦ College football detail that the rest of us missed: Tulsa changed its red helmet stripes to pink on Saturday (from Matt Spencer). … And Art Kerdmanee has spotted an in-season uni adjustment for UCLA: The Bruins’ NOB lettering had been white this season, but now it’s gone back to gold, like it had been in previous years. “This change happened between the Texas and Washington State home games,” says Art. ”¦ As you may have heard, an upstate New York high school football player named Ridge Barden recently died. The other team on the field that day, Homer High School, is wearing Barden’s school’s colors as a memorial tribute (from Jude S.). … Bruce Menard sent along the amazing cover from the 1948 NFL championship game program. Look at those team mascot caricatures! “When I first saw the patriot character, I thought ‘Isn’t that too early for the Boston Patriots?'” says Bruce. “Then I checked and found that the NFL had a team called the Boston Yanks back in 1948.” … Also from Bruce: the press pin from that same game. … Did you know that the Niners have an assistant coach who likes to expose his chest hair? The whole world’s gonna know now (thanks, Brinke). … Did you know NFL Films had a blog? They do, and their most recent entry is about uniforms. … What’s that just below Chelsea’s collar? Explanation here (from Joe Hollomon). … College Hockey Inc. is holding a fan vote to determine college hockey’s best goalie mask. … Nike engaged in a big of chest-thumping yesterday. “Flat-out irritating,” says Ryan Hess. ”¦ Joseph Gerard was talking with some guys at the Steelers Sideline Store, and they told him a bunch of stuff: (a) The Steelers will probably wear their throwbacks against the Ravens in Week 9. (b) The throwbacks will not be worn next season. (c) The throwbacks will be replaced next season by a new throwback uni — the 1930s design one that was worn in 1994. None of this is confirmed, so take it with a grain of whatever. Personally, I’m rooting for a return to the Batman uni, but Joseph says he asked about that and was told it ain’t gonna happen. ”¦ As you’ve probably heard, a 100-year-old man basically made the rest of us look like lazy-ass saps by running a marathon in Toronto the other day. What you might not have known was that he had a custom Maple Leafs jersey made up for the occasion (from Zac Neubauer). ”¦ Jonathan Quick of the Kings is the latest NHL goalie to be wearing solid black socks instead of his team’s regular socks. We’ve seen this before on other goalies, but John Livewell suggests a reason for it that I hadn ‘t thought of before: “I assume that’s so nobody can see the puck in case it gets lost under him.” Interesting theory — can anyone confirm or refute? ”¦ “In a recent Funny or Die spoof, celebrities are stuck in a room brainstorming ideas for Bill Clinton’s foundation,” writes Adam Yarnevich. “Matt Damon’s idea is to start an office softball team. He even did a quick uniform sketch.” … Moon over Foxboro! That’s Dez Bryant, from Sunday’s Cowboys/Pats game (from Villaroman Santos). ”¦ Junior Hemingway of Michigan had a chipped helmet decal on Saturday (screen shot by Carter Hempstead). ”¦ Oh, this is pure gold: In 1966 the NFL and Birdseye published a “Ladies’ Guide to Football.” Mike Hersh recently got his hands on a copy and has posted the entire thing (click on the thumbnails to see larger versions). ”¦ Lucas Devoe is compiling a uniform history of Quinnipiac University hockey. ”¦ Let’s hear it for Zack Belsky, whose Jose Valverde jack-o-lantern is likely to go down as one of the best pumpkin designs of the year. Here are some previous pumpkin carvings he’s done. ”¦ Peter King theorizes that Harbaugh and Schwartz wouldn’t have behaved like 12-year-olds the other day if they were wearing suits. ”¦ Wanna see something odd? Watch this play from 1987 and look at the end zone. The end zone itself is blank, and the Pats logo is printed outside the end zone. Weird! (Good spot by Andrew McKillop.) ”¦ Remember how I covered the Puppy Bowl’s kitten-themed halftime show last winter? I’m doing it again this season, and the taping is this morning, so I’ll be off checking that out for a few hours today. Kittens!

157 comments to Humpback Liner? No, Humpback NINER!

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 7:31 am |

(c) The throwbacks will be replaced next season by a new throwback uni – the 1930s design one that was worn in 1994.

For the love of Thor, WHY? Hey, Pittsburgh! Newsflash – both those uniforms and the team of the era SUCKED – the ’33 Pittsburgh Pirates were 3-6-2. Why on Earth would you want to throwback to that now? In ’94 it made sense, because it was the team’s first uniform. Now? That’s just stupid.

DenverGregg|
October 18, 2011 at 7:43 am |

It’s possibly the most visually-interesting of all their sets. I’d guess it will sell really well too, which is a likelier motivator. Perhaps they read the NFL blog item about bright colors being better suited to current televisions.

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 7:50 am |

Did it sell in ’94? I don’t recall anyone liking it back then. Granted, I’m not exactly surrounded by Steelers fans, but all I remember was people talking about how ugly it was.

They’re the Steelers. Six Rings(tm) and all that crap… they shouldn’t even need a throwback/alternate uniform to sell jerseys.

NickV|
October 18, 2011 at 9:08 am |

The Steelers 1933 “Friction Strip” Throwback jersey (worn in 1994) is the single most sought-after, most desired and most expensive jersey when offered for auction on EBAY. I have been purchasing and watching sales on EBAY from the beginning, and these jerseys are simply No. 1. in sales prices when offerred.An authentic, store bought version will go for $600.00-$800.00. Rarely are they offered. A few gamers have been offered and they go for upwards of $1,000.00. Cheapy screened on versions sold at J.C. Penney often go upwards of $200.00.

Why. They are unique, they are rare (not many authentics were made for sale) and they stand out. Even more rare, but less expensive, are the Bears’ 1925 versions also worn in 1994. There were no authentics made for store sale, and cheapy screened on versions sold at J.C. Penney also often go upwards of $200.00 on Ebay.

Love em or hate em, they are wanted. I like the “Friction Strip” jerseys, I say Why not?

By the way, if you go to the Steelers’ website they sell authentic Black Steelers “Batman” jerseys, and I believe that they will customize by number and NOB.

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 9:12 am |

Well, collectors are collectors.

I guess the question is would they be sought after if they weren’t rare? My gut tells me no. If those things were readily available, I don’t think there’d be that much demand.

NickV|
October 18, 2011 at 9:15 am |

Also, What’s wrong with a Yellow/Athletic Gold jersey once in awhile in the NFL? Why not?

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 9:17 am |

Nothing’s wrong with a yellow jersey in the NFL. The Steelers should do that instead of the stupid throwback.

@ NickV – Yeah, the Steelers have been selling the black Batman jerseys for a few years now. You have to get a current player or have it personally customized, though. Personally I’d like to get Dick Hoak or Andy Russell–the only two players on the team that got to wear the Batman uniforms that went on to do significant work for the Super Bowl-era teams. Ray Mansfield wouldn’t hurt, either, although Mike Webster had taken over by the time the dynasty started he did start the current line of excellent centers dating back to Mansfield’s arrival in 1964–Sean Mahan & Justin Hartwig aside. The Steelers current unis replaced the Batman unis in 1968, then Chuck Noll took over the following year and gutted the roster. Hoak, Russell, and Mansfield were among the few veterans he kept, with Russell and Mansfield each lasting until ’76. Hoak only played another season but became the team’s running backs coach in ’72 and retired when Bill Cowher left.

As far as the information on the uniforms, the Steelers Sideline Stores are directly owned & operated by the team. About the only way I could do better is to contact the team directly. I’m pretty sure the Rooney’s have more important things to do than talk about potential uniforms. Personally I’m OK with the current throwbacks being retired after this season, but I think the team needs to go back to two uniform sets, and BLOCK NUMBERS. If there’s any team in the NFL that needs to have just two uniform sets like the New York Yankees & New Jersey Devils, it’s the Steelers.

Bernard|
October 18, 2011 at 8:47 am |

If, in fact, the Steelers go with that 30s era design, they will only sell about a billion of them.

Andy|
October 18, 2011 at 9:34 am |

Personally, I like the one that came after. Black and gold horizontal stripes on the body and sleeves. The numerals were black, then sewn onto gold rectangles, which were applied to the jersey.

Gusto44|
October 18, 2011 at 9:47 am |

I do like the current throwbacks, which very been popular, and are in their fifth year. Since the Steelers have worn a variety of uniforms over the years, I don’t have a problem with bringing back the 1933/1994 look. My only concern would be the helmet, which was just a plain black one. Visually, it would be more appealing, if the Steelers took creative license and placed the city flag logo on a black helmet.

Doesn’t bother me at all the Steelers were mostly bad during this era, I’ve always felt a good uniform can get a bad rap just because the team plays poorly. For example, I liked the Giants uniform with the blue pants, wide red/white striping and St. Louis Cardinal style striping on the sleeves.

As a lifelong Steelers fan, I would be thrilled to finally have a chance to grab one of those 1994 throwbacks. I was shit-poor in ’94, and passed on buying a Greg Lloyd (I think) jersey the one time I saw it for sale cause I had a hard enough time paying my rent.

I don’t think there’s anything at all wrong with teams with uniforms as iconic as Pittsburgh’s doing something different every once in a while. I wouldn’t want them to permanently change their look ever ever EVER, but being able to sport an alternate look now and then is a nice change of pace. Same reason I like the Penguins’ blues.

timmy b|
October 18, 2011 at 1:53 pm |

Guess I’m the only UW’er who likes the current number font.

Hope this doesn’t mean I’ll be pummelled by a fellow UW’er in the near future.

Bernard|
October 18, 2011 at 2:28 pm |

You are not alone, Timmy. I’ve always kinda liked the current number font as well.

I’m used to the newer Steelers number font, save for one exception….I think it looks awful on 96. Look at Ziggy Hood’s jersey, just doesn’t look right.

BurghFan|
October 18, 2011 at 7:03 pm |

Newsflash for The Jeff: Every uniform that predates the current Steelers look with the block numbers represents teams that sucked.

I never saw authentics on sale in ’94 (they’re goofy-looking enough that I’d have seriously considered buying one), and the replicas I occasionally saw weren’t very good.

I’m OK with the current numbers. Both they and the block numbers are sufficiently readable from the stands, and that’s what’s important to me.

Pierre|
October 18, 2011 at 7:50 am |

Regarding Steve DeBerg, in how many games did he wear the speakers. The caption of the first photo says he’s being rigged for a game. But in the photo he’s wearing a red jersey, while in the other game photos he’s wearing a white jersey. Practice, maybe…?

Also, why do you suppose DeBerg’s helmet logo has been airbrushed out in the Topps football card?

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 7:54 am |

Because Topps didn’t have proper NFL rights. They could use player names and team names, but no logos. Topps cards were like that for years. I’m not sure exactly when it started (late 60’s/early 70’s), but it didn’t end until ’82. That’s the whole reason the “’76 Seahawks blank helmet” shit exists.

There have been other amplification systems — I think it was somewhere around 1990 or 1991 when it was tried in the NFL preseason to overcome crowd noise. There would be speakers along the sidelines that would only come on the last 10 seconds of the play clock. The “hut”s that I heard during those preseason games were like thunderbolts.

unionjack|
October 18, 2011 at 9:49 am |

Best part of that clip was seeing Atlanta in red helmets and jerseys — that’s the only uniform they should be wearing. The black helmet looks like shite; red helmet with black jersey “throwback” looks lousy, too.

JTH|
October 18, 2011 at 10:02 am |

“red helmet with black jersey “throwback” looks lousy, too.”

False.

Phil Hecken|
October 18, 2011 at 10:13 am |

not just false

wrong

Geeman|
October 18, 2011 at 10:33 am |

Yes, wrong. It’s a fine look. It’s the look that UGa. should adopt when not wearing its red jerseys, instead of going with that riddiculous all-red getup they wore at the start of the year.

Silver Creek Doug|
October 18, 2011 at 5:34 pm |

As an UGA alum, I completely agree with Geeman.

The black jersey we sported against Auburn, Hawai’i, and Alabama is the ONLY alternate we should ever wear. And, I want to see it once annually. It’s a fantastic look with the silver britches.

Would it be legal for an NFL team to use a microphone like that today? With today’s microelectronics, I imagine you could rig up a speaker system that would be tiny, and not present nearly the obstacle that DeBerg’s backpack/hi-fi did.

Probably as long as it is just amplifying, but if you start putting wireless receivers in the receivers’ helmets, that might be a problem.

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 10:49 am |

I’m kinda surprised they haven’t stuck speakers in all the helmets already. You’ve got the QBs and MLBs getting signals from the sidelines anyway, just add a mic to them and put receivers in the rest of the helmets, and there ya go. You’d just need 2 frequencies per team, I’m sure that’s easily doable now.

R.S. Rogers|
October 18, 2011 at 10:54 am |

if you start putting wireless receivers in the receivers’ helmets, that might be a problem

Why? Seems kind of like a natural extension of the sport now that you mention it. (Plus, this is how a lot of football fans experience the game when playing Madden on a console!) Heck, actual soldiers in actual combat now often use live in-helmet mics & speakers for instant realtime communication with their teammates, and if there’s one thing football is really and truly obsessed with, it’s acting like warriors. Plus, imagine the sponsorship opportunities! How can the NFL resist?

I’m not saying that’s not something they should or should not think about, I just imagine it might be against current rules. One thing would it be one-way “Terrell, break to your left!” or would it be two way? I imagine QBs would tire of hearing, “I’m open!”

Also, if it’s okay to artificially amplify the QB’s voice, why not artificially amplify other things, like a throwing arm? Next thing you know, you’ve got the six million dollar Bionic Man Steve Austin playing QB. First it’s just a temporary fix for laryngitis, then before you know it, it’s a justification for robotics. It’s a slippery slope when you start playing God. Just kidding. (I think.)

R.S. Rogers|
October 18, 2011 at 1:55 pm |

I’m pretty sure even the folks who run the NFL could figure out a better way to use helmet mics than just shouting “I’m open!” Probably something more like pilot’s chatter in dogfight scenes. “Voodoo one, Wood’s been hit! We’ve lost Hollywood!” “Launch Maverick on alert five!” “Watch your back, break right!” And then everyone comes back to the sideline and shares manly embraces with Nick Rivers and Nuke Laloosh.

JTH|
October 18, 2011 at 2:56 pm |

I’m almost positive that the communications between the coaches and players are cut off when there are something like ten seconds left on the play clock.

If they allowed player-to-player communications, those could be cut off when the ball is snapped.

R.S. Rogers|
October 18, 2011 at 4:23 pm |

If they allowed player-to-player communications, those could be cut off when the ball is snapped.

Again, and just playing around with the idea here, but why? Why not permit realtime player-to-player wireless talking? Wouldn’t this produce better football in basically every regard? Quarterbacks would have more control over the play, and thus regain some of the “field general” status they’ve been stripped of in the last generation. Formations would be more precisely executed, passing more effective, running adaptations more coordinated, and so on down the line. Everything that a player can do to produce good football, he’d be able to do better with improved communication, right?

JTH|
October 18, 2011 at 4:56 pm |

Frankly, I don’t see why they cut off the coach/player communications when they do.

Pierre|
October 18, 2011 at 7:59 am |

Nike’s boast that nine of the top ten BCS schools are Nike colleges makes me wonder if schools get bonus money from Nike the higher they finish. Don’t laugh…it is conceivable. Higher rankings mean more exposure for the school…and for the Nike uniforms they wear. I would love to see Nike’s contracts with some of the major football powers.

R.S. Rogers|
October 18, 2011 at 4:24 pm |

Is “a Nike college” even a thing? If so, can I just say that I freakin’ hate the twenty-first century.

LI Matt|
October 18, 2011 at 8:11 am |

The 1948 NFL Championship Game is famous for being played in a raging blizzard. The Eagles won 7-0.

Geen|
October 18, 2011 at 8:29 am |

Nothing shows the grit of Pittsburgh than a long-sleeved pressed blue shirt. If that’s a steelworker, I’ll eat my hat.

As for Green Bay — Ray Nitschke would never have had a clean white apron. A meat cleaver, yes.

NickV|
October 18, 2011 at 9:12 am |

Saw on NFL Films how Steve Van Buren went through alot just to get to that game to play in it. He regularly rode public transportation to and from Shibe Park, and had to get help from people along the way because not all of the trolleys and busses – I believe he had three (!) connections to get from the house to the stadium – were running during the blizzard.

They used to blow a shofar instead of a whistle. It was T’kiyah for the ends of plays and quarters, and T’kiyah G’dolah for the ends of halves.

R.S. Rogers|
October 18, 2011 at 4:31 pm |

Shevarim for a touchdown and Teruah for a field goal?

Natron|
October 18, 2011 at 8:25 am |

Regarding Quick’s socks, the theory regarding losing the puck in them could be valid. I know that we’ve seen fewer and fewer black pads on goalies over the years for a similar reason, and that’s because it can be difficult for goalies to locate the puck and control it on shots if they’re looking down into black pads… Most will wear white or another lighter color now as a result. It would stand to reason that a similar game could be at play with the socks.

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 8:35 am |

Maybe the NHL should just make the puck pink. Then it’s highly visible *and* they can claim they care about breast cancer almost as much as the NFL. It’s win/win.

;)

Rob S|
October 18, 2011 at 9:01 am |

If they did a stunt like that, they’d go with lavender, because the NHL cares about fighting all forms of cancer.

:P

Ricko|
October 18, 2011 at 10:36 am |

WHA tried a supposed DayGlo orange puck during first preseason, but when actually produced it was closer to a kind of pink.

Once it got moving it became a blur of color that blended into into all the other colors swirling around.

Goalies said it was like trying to follow a beebee.

So the DayGlo orange puck, like the blue one which had a bit of similar problem, was shelved. Although some say the Nordiques used the blue ones for a time, which I can neither confirm nor deny. Probably to get some use out of them.

I had one of each (“orange” and blue) but they have long since disappeared.

They already have every player wearing a “Hockey Fights Cancer” sticker on their helmets.

It’s not like the NHL is the NFL, THE. ;o)

As for the black socks making it harder to find the puck, it holds little to no water. The socks are almost entirely covered, and a couple of white stripes on the Kings’ socks won’t make a whole helluva lot of difference when it comes to making saves. Rarely do players lose track of the puck in a goaltender’s socks.

Black jerseys and black pants? Much more valid. In this case, Quick probably just likes a different style or fit of sock and can get away with wearing them because hardly anyone sees or notices them.

JTH|
October 18, 2011 at 11:43 am |

“Rarely do players lose track of the puck in a goaltender’s socks.”

Ah, but what if the idea is that it will be harder for the referee to see the puck?

Quick loses track of the puck and it’s behind him. Referee can’t see the puck, either. So what’s the ref do? He blows the whistle, right?

Except he’s lying on his back. His pads are white. His socks wouldn’t even be visible.

If the referee loses sight of the puck, he’s supposed to blow the whistle. The socks don’t matter if the puck isn’t visible. Unless his legs are in the net and there’s some question as to whether the puck crossed the goal line because of his black socks, they are a non-issue.

I am going to throw another theory in….maybe he’s not wearing socks at all, maybe he is wearing underarmour cold gear leggings. I play goal and wear these under my pads because they are comfortable, add support, and most of all, they allow pads to rotate easily into the butterfly position when you go down to the ice. I started wearing these leggings when I switced pads about 8 years ago from an old styled pad that was not set up to rotate. i found that the surface of the leggings had a lot less friction with the pad, and allowed for much better rotation. I have never worn socks under any pads, usually sweats before I switched pads.

maltovich|
October 18, 2011 at 9:21 am |

also, I would think whatever he wears, trying to hide the puck would not be a priority for choosing the color of something on the back of his legs.

John G. Livewell|
October 18, 2011 at 10:24 am |

Cooperalls???

teenchy|
October 18, 2011 at 8:36 am |

The Eagle on that ’48 NFL Championship program looks like it has a goose’s head and neck. Paul must LOVE the Packer mascot – I know I do.

So it’s the Green Bay Butchers? And the guy with the long stick is the Steeler?

jl|
October 18, 2011 at 9:23 am |

New York Tarzans!

Payton|
October 18, 2011 at 8:43 am |

That Birdseye ad in ’66 must have been done by Sterling Cooper. ;)

Kevin G.|
October 18, 2011 at 8:46 am |

The Patriots had their name on the outside of the end zone for many years. I think it started in the mid-to-late 70’s. I have no idea why they did this, but I always remember seeing it when they played at home.

Matt|
October 19, 2011 at 3:12 pm |

Yep, me too. So bizarre. (Probably the most-famous clips that people outside the N.E. market would’ve seen were from that MNF game when Joe Washington of the Colts engineered an amazing comeback. I recall a kickoff return that won the game.)

PuckBoy33|
October 18, 2011 at 8:46 am |

DEFINITELY NOT THE WC JERSEY BECAUSE . . .

The Winter Classic jerseys have supposedly been confirmed, although I’m also hearing some chatter that those aren’t the real designs after all. Whatever – it’s one freakin’ game, and neither team has a good historical design to use, so almost anything they choose is going to be a disappointing compromise on some level.

my thoughts are that the WC should be played in new york (and i detest the rangers)

EddieAtari|
October 18, 2011 at 6:04 pm |

Hmm, can a hockey rink fit inside Arthur Ashe Stadium? If so that would be a great venue for a Rangers v. Isles Winter Classic, with better sight lines than a baseball park and seats right up to the boards n’ all… Si?

Not impressed with those jersey prototypes overall, but do appreciate both sides’ inclusion of NW’ern stripes.

The world of sports fashions usually go the other way. A team designs a jersey with its chosen colour scheme and logo and then mass produces merchandise. Could they be similar since Philly once wore jerseys that had all those colours? Sure. Is it likely that they’re basing their Winter Classic design off a Reebok-designed t-shirt?

“…Pretty much our favorite thing in the world at the moment. Because if you can’t appreciate a Chicago Blackhawks logo made out of hot dogs, pickles, mushrooms, sauerkraut and a ton of ketchup, what can you appreciate?…”

Now that’s a good question.

The Jeff|
October 18, 2011 at 9:09 am |

I prefer my food to be food, not art. Those start bordering on “I can’t eat this, it looks too cool” territory… and that’s just not cool.

Bob Ross showed up in my toast. He was in front of some happy little trees.

J-Dub|
October 18, 2011 at 3:20 pm |

Not Brian Wilson? (pitcher, not Beach Boy)

ClubMedSux|
October 18, 2011 at 10:16 am |

My initial reaction was one of horror, as no self-respecting Chicagoan would let ketchup get that close to a hot dog. However, after reading the blog I see that he is a non-Chicagoan that has committed to rooting for the Blackhawks this season so I’ll cut him some slack (as long as he continues to root for the Hawks, that is).

JTH|
October 18, 2011 at 10:30 am |

Here’s how you fix that Hawks logo.

Make it out of Italian sausages, green peppers and/or giardiniera, mushrooms, mozzarella and marinara sauce.

Pierre|
October 18, 2011 at 9:01 am |

I thought UCLA was supposed to remedy its stripe problem this year. Looks like crap…maybe they should just ditch the stripes altogether until they can do a better job.

Yeah… sure. By that logic there’s no brown either, since that’s just a combination of green and red.

ClubMedSux|
October 18, 2011 at 10:11 am |

Peter King theorizes that Harbaugh and Schwartz wouldn’t have behaved like 12-year-olds the other day if they were wearing suits.

As a lawyer, I can say without hesitation that wearing a suit does not make one immune from acting like a 12-year-old.

pushbutton|
October 18, 2011 at 11:49 am |

Have to admit I didn’t know “league-licensed casual apparel” was mandated for coaches. Hope they’re selling a lot of that ugly crap to offset the loss of dignity.

Rob S|
October 18, 2011 at 12:27 pm |

But they’re less likely to sprint across a field to do so. I think that’s the point King was trying to make – if you’re wearing an outfit that, by its nature, is more restricting of movements, you’re less likely to do something that could risk wrecking that outfit – like, say, hop, skip and jump across the field like you just won the Rose Bowl, or break out in a full run to get a guy who you feel has just disrespected you.

RMB|
October 18, 2011 at 10:13 am |

I think there might be a logical explanation for that Patriots clip where the wordmark is painted behind the end zone: if you look at it again, there are also soccer markings on the field (the New England Tea Men were part of the NASL at the time). This has probably been done to avoid the distraction of the wordmark running right through the soccer goal line (like this – http://www.bascomlinestriping.com/end%20zone.jpg )

Speaking of Tulsa’s pink stripe, I noticed that MD’s shoulder stripe turtle pattern and the back of the leg stripe appeared to be more “pinkish” than red. Was that a poor attempt at pinkifying MD’s uni’s (given pink on red doesn’t show very well)…or was it just bad color matching by the aesthetically challenged folks at UA?

We’ve covered poor color matching on UA pants here before. Since the front and back panels are made from two different materials, they never match perfectly and colors that are particularly difficult to match up from piece to piece become even more differentiated in high contrast situations.

I don’t think UW needs the Facebook-esque “Like” button, but it could be a tool to determine Phil’s “Comment of the Day.” But the status quo, which is probably just Phil picking his favorite, is perfectly fine. So, I suppose, color me “Meh” on the issue.

They really didn’t have much to trade away (they gave up a third rounder for Tarelle Pryor(sp) because they didn’t have a fourth rounder AND they traded a second rounder to NE), and they knew Mike Brown wouldn’t go for a fourth round pick for Palmer, so they went up to round one. I think they felt it would be really really to convince Mike Brown to trade Palmer, and it would be even harder without a first round pick.

Semantically speaking, anything north of the Bronx would be “upstate.”

Connie|
October 18, 2011 at 2:27 pm |

If “Upstate” is good enough for Edmund Wilson, it’s good enough. Ben F may be right about true five-borough sentiment, but my experience is that most of us downstaters would say that Upstate begins with Putnam County. So Downstate gets Westchester, the five boroughs, Nassau and Suffolk. Doesn’t that make for about an even 50-50 population split? You get space, we get crowds. And beaches. And prettier women. And

Phil Hecken|
October 18, 2011 at 7:33 pm |

i attended college in “central” new york

which i called upstate as soon as i hit the NYC border

if you went to college in clinton, ny, as i did, the locals call that “central” — only the aridondacks qualifies as “upstate” to them…

if you work(ed) in albany, like i did, “downstate” begins once you hit the thruway

it’s all semantics

but we NYC/LIers will refer to anything above da bronx as “upstate” and you upstaters can call everything up there whatever you want

It’s breaking news on the jersey collector boards regarding this. Apparently Edge 2.0 will NOT be available at retail. The retail version of the authentic is made in Indonesia and will have the lime green neck tape. The material is NOT airknit, but a hybrid Xtrafil/Edge material. No double shoulders either. (jerseys will still have the Edge 1.0 arms). Reebok (not Vector) neck patch (which might or might not be screen-printed rather than patches).

THIS SHOULD COME TO NO SURPRISE to NFL jersey collectors. The retail authentic NFL jerseys are made in Korea or Mexico. The gamer authentics are made in Berlin, WI by Rippon. If you buy an “authentic” on NFL.com you are not getting the actual jersey worn on the field. At least the NHL is consistent with not making an “actual on-ice” jersey at retail.

You mean people who pay $200 for a polyester shirt might not be getting full value for their money?

Surely you jest.

JTH|
October 18, 2011 at 2:51 pm |

I think $200 only buys you the sleeves on an “authentic” NHL jersey.

jdreyfuss|
October 18, 2011 at 3:56 pm |

But according to the NFL Guide for Women it only costs $230 to outfit an NFL player with pads, clothes, shoes, and helmet. Are you telling me hockey gear is that much more expensive than football gear? 0_o

Rob S|
October 18, 2011 at 10:37 pm |

I miss the days of of the CCM 6100…

Danny|
October 18, 2011 at 3:04 pm |

I suggest that the Patriot word mark was behind the end zone because back in those days painted words or logos on artificial service became very slick over time. This caused footing problems for players and in many stadiums with turf there was no logo in the end zones.

Nope.
The Raiders do not retire numbers. However, since #00 is no longer a permitted jersey number in the NFL, they made a “jersey retirement” out of that.
As an aside, you know your team doesn’t retire numbers when (a) Jerry “I Hate Art Shell” Porter orders Tim Brown’s #81 “for a fresh start,” only to sneeze at the Reebok bill for unmoved merchandise, (b) horrible QB Andrew Walter gets George Blanda’s number, and (c) when some speedy stiff of a wide receiver with stone hands gets Ken Stabler’s #12 fresh out of university.

Hey Paul, I have a question: How do you come up with the title names for the ledes? Just wondering. If I was required to pick an alternative name for the lede (not that I would question your choices, which are always good, BTW), I would’ve gone with “The Hunchback of San Francisco”.

I dunno. How does anyone come up with anything? I think about it until I hit upon something I like (or at least don’t hate).

There’s a knack to display copy (heds, deks, captions, etc.). Some people are really, really good at it. I am not one of those people. I’m, like, serviceable, and I have my occasional moments when I really nail one, but display copy has never been my strength, dating back to my days on my college newspaper.

Fortunately, I’m better at writing text. Or at least I like to think so.

Phil Hecken|
October 18, 2011 at 8:49 pm |

“I’m better at writing text.”

~~~

understatement of the century — your headers are tremendous, but they pale in comparison to your writing…it’s what draws ALL of us here…few writers have been able to convey so much, so well and so concisely

This year, the Cyclones will wear four specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off after select games. Specialty jerseys kick-off on Veterans Weekend, Saturday, November 12, for Military Appreciation Night. On Saturday, December 10, Cincinnati will celebrate its hockey heritage by donning special yellow jerseys resembling those the Cyclones wore in the mid-1990’s. The next jersey auction will be held on Friday, February 10 when “Pink in the Rink” returns to U.S. Bank Arena. Finally, the Cyclones will pay homage to the King of Pop with a specialty jersey on Friday, February 24.

Mike Fudge|
October 18, 2011 at 8:56 pm |

Re : Pats end zone in old stadium atMFLsecret Foxboro… oh yea, it was like that throughout the late 70s and early 80s. As a Baltimore Colt fan I was quite familiar with it. And regarding DeBerg I remember the week he 1st wore it and the NFL Today piece about it. For a comparison, see if you can find a pic or video of Billy Kilmer in I think 67 with the first NFL Films on field mike. It was featured on an episode of Lost Treasures of NFL films.

“Tosh.0” is on TV right now (my friend Ashley was on the show last week, but beside the point). Daniel Tosh’s wardrobe theme for this season is college apparel. Tonight, he’s wearing Jim Tressel’s sweater vest, complete with Nike logo and American flag pin.

StLMarty|
October 18, 2011 at 10:34 pm |

Haven’t read a single comment, but I’m guessing that everyone loves the “pelted” coach.
Let it fly, Homie.